How to Find Your Weight Loss Motivation

Ah, motivation. Inspiration. We all want to be inspired and motivated daily.

I know I do. But how is that possible?

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Well, I am going to tell you how you can continue your weight loss journey without hitting the wall and getting discouraged. Here is what I did to lose my 150 plus pounds and keep it off for seven and a half years.

5 Tips for Weight Loss Motivation

1. Build Better Habits

Motivation is nice, but habit is better.

I love Tony Robbins. I love Oprah. And don’t even get me started on how much I adore Richard Simmons. But my motivation was always short-lived.

Within a week, all the motivational memes and inspirational quotes did little to help me get my butt out of bed and exercise. I didn’t want to eat that salad at lunch even though I knew it would feel better than having 10 doughnuts.

When I was losing weight, I was doing it for a specific reason, so it wasn’t like it had been in the past. I had a goal-WIN MONEY. I had a time frame - six months - that's how long the contest lasted.

I had to think strategically and be able to get my hands on that money. So, I started making habits and not relying on motivation. I powered through stuff I didn’t want to.

I did that for like a solid month, and guess what? That habit that I didn’t like?

It stuck.

I just kept doing it. I no longer even thought about it. I just did it.

2. Preparation is Powerful

Willpower is overrated.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"? Well, that is a bunch of crap.

Coming from where I came from, yes, there are lots of things that taste better than what thin feels like. I am a huge foodie. I think of food as much as a 14 year old boy thinks about sex.

I knew losing weight would be a challenge. I have never, nor do I still have any willpower whatsoever. So, how the heck do I keep my weight off?

I am prepared.

I make stuff that mimics desserts. I have protein cake pretty much every day, because I need cake in my life. If it fits in my diet, I have a protein bar that I love.

3. Be Prepared

I never liked celery and peanut butter, so why would I eat that?

I always was prepared with snacks I liked that happened to be healthy. Like, I have stuff in my car and on my person in case I am somewhere where they are serving cupcakes and I start to want one.

It better be tasty too, or I am going to feel deprived - that's when I feel like bingeing; when I feel deprived. So, I come prepared at ALL times, because that helps me to be successful and meet my goals.

4. Eat Enough

This is for you women out there that go on 500 calorie diets... Stop it.

Just stop it.

Not only are you screwing up your metabolism, your going to be freaking hungry all day every day, and living life this way sucks. I know this, because I have done it. Several times.

And gained back more than I lost every time.

Protein is your friend. It keeps you satiated longer. Fat is your friend, it helps keep your hair, nails and skin all pretty. Carbs are your friend, they are used for fast energy use.

There is nothing horrible about food. Food is used for nutrients, and lets face it, we have a weight problem because it tastes freaking fantastic. So, why would you not eat enough?

You can be in a slight calorie deficit and still eat 4-6 times a day and eradicate your overeating problem. If you eat healthier, you can even eat more.

So, why deprive yourself?

5. You're Gonna Fail

It's just a fact. There is going to be a party, get together, etc. You will eat too much or you fall face first into a gallon of ice cream after having a really crappy day.

It is what it is. However, what you do with yourself after an epic binge is the determining factor in your continued weight loss journey.

If you think I stopped binge eating during this contest and after your wrong. I still fail. What I do now, which I didn’t do before, is be strategic about it.

Let's say I had a crap day and ate a whole pizza and now I look like I am 9 months pregnant. In the past, I would get depressed about what a loser I was and eat more, being sucked into a downward spiral of frustration, self-loathing, and self-doubt.

Now, I forgive myself. I still do my regular habits of going to the gym, eating my allotted macros, and basically go about my day.

My binges are pretty occasional now, and I really don’t make a huge deal about them anymore. We all fall off the wagon, but how you react to it is what is going to determine how successful you are.

You CAN make this a lifestyle that you enjoy with foods that you love and still meet your weight loss goals. I have done it, and continue to tweak it so that I am not only meeting my goals, but making it enjoyable in the process.